EYE CONDITIONS

WE TREAT THE RANGE OF COMMON EYE PROBLEMS

James Ball’s vision for Custom Vision Clinic

At Custom Vision Clinic, we treat the most common eye conditions associated with a dependency on spectacles or age-related visual loss due to cataracts. We have long had access to the very best laser eye surgery technology and the very best lens replacement technology available in Leeds. Now, we have the best diagnostic equipment to assess eye conditions to identify which of these options is the best for each patient.

Eye conditions we treat at Yorkshire’s Custom Vision Clinic

Myopia is the medical term for what most of us know as short-sightedness and near-sightedness. This eye condition part of a family of refractive errors that cause light to focus on the retina (the back of your eye) in a less than optimal way. For centuries, people have used spectacles to correct their myopia. Contact lenses then became an option for many people who can tolerate them.

Now, we can treat myopia – among other eye conditions – with surgery – either laser eye surgery or refractive lens exchange. Both of these procedure types have enjoyed significant evolution since eye surgeons first introduced them. Because it’s the most common refractive error, many technological advances aim to treat myopia; with ReLEx SMILE™ keyhole laser eye surgery acting as the most recent among them.

Hyperopia is the medical term for long-sightedness or far-sightedness, and is one of the more common eye conditions. Hyperopia is another refractive error that involves light focusing at a sub-optimal location on the retina (the back of the eye). Correction of hyperopia also includes spectacles and contact lenses.

Over the past couple of decades, laser device companies have expanded their offerings to enable eye surgeons to treat hyperopia with laser eye surgery. Eye surgeons also use lens replacement techniques to treat more severe forms of long-sightedness.

Astigmatism is an eye condition in which the eye is shaped more like a rugby ball than a perfect sphere. Because we are all different, most of us have eyes that are not perfectively spherical. When this happens, the light that passes through the window of the eye (the cornea) onto the film at the back of the eye (the retina) can become distorted. Distorted light can lead to blurriness or even double-vision.

Spectacle and contact lens manufacturers offer visual aids to correct this refractive error alongside other eye conditions, like short-sightedness and long-sightedness. We can correct astigmatism with LASIK and refractive lens exchange.

Keratoconus is a severe form of astigmatism that leads to significant visual impairment if not treated. We consider keratoconus a disease state among eye conditions. Keratoconus is one of the contraindications for laser eye surgery.

Presbyopia is the natural process of ageing eyes. As we age, the lens inside our eye that is most responsible for zooming in on close objects becomes brittle and inelastic as it makes its way to becoming a cataract. Presbyopia has been one of the toughest eye conditions to treat because the problem arises inside the eye and can’t easily be corrected on the cornea.

Until relatively recently, the only corrective options were reading glasses, and for those with other refractive errors, varifocals and bifocals. Today, we most commonly treat presbyopia with refractive lens exchange. With that said, a select number of eye surgeons have employed a newer – but still safe and effective approach – to correct presbyopia with the same laser used in laser eye surgery. We call this advanced form of LASIK, PRESBYOND™.

A cataract is the gradual opacification of the lens inside your eye as a result of the ageing process. Cataracts affect everyone in time and cataract surgery is the most common eye surgery in the world. Every ophthalmologist (eye surgeon) starts their surgical careers operating on cataracts, but few take steps to adopt the more advanced approaches to cataract surgery today.

Today, patients can take advantage of a cataract procedure to restore not only the vision they enjoyed prior to cataracts, but also to correct most common refractive errors that might have affected them before they had cataracts.

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My eyesight following the operation is brilliant and better than I thought possible, and this is all down to your excellent surgeon Mr James Ball and not to forget all the very dedicated people around him who make these operations possible.

Keith Garlick

Two of the best decisions I ever made in my life were firstly to have lens exchange and secondly to have Mr James Ball carry out my operation.

Patricia Walton

Within minutes I could tell there was a difference. But now, only a couple of months later, my sight is better than it was seven years ago! I can even read the really tiny print on the car sales ads! If you want that confidence you probably felt when you were younger, this is the ideal solution. Thanks to the treatment, I feel rejuvenated, independent and much younger!

John Hazelgrave

My work was becoming almost impossible. I had refractive lens exchange to both eyes with multifocal lens implants last July. I can now see better than 20/20 for distance and can read the tiniest print in newspapers – all without glasses! I have started reading for pleasure again, and I feel that my performance both at work and on the golf course has improved.

John

Laser eye surgery has changed my life. Now, having had laser, I wake up in the morning and I can see and it’s unbelievable.

Claire Varley

Laser eye surgery has greatly improved my quality of life. I’ve been able to discard my glasses after thirty years!

Arthur Brown

If you are thinking of having Laser Eye Surgery, try these guys – they really are the best in their field.

Mr CE Poulter

I felt I was treated as an individual and all my questions were answered. From my experiences – I can highly recommend Mr Ball.

Janet Howden

Wonderful, Wonderful, Wonderful! I am so grateful to you and your team. Thank you very much indeed.

Dorothy S.

Thank you for your skilled interventions which have given me my sight back.

Doreen G.

To me it appears a miracle that I can see so well. I feel very grateful. It is impossible to fully express my thanks.

Grace C.

Thank you very much for the treatment you gave me – I can see so well now, and reading has once again become a real pleasure.

Charles S.

It was intimated to me that you were the best, and from the results I am now enjoying, I am convinced that this is correct.

Jean D.

You are truly innovative. Thank you very much for curing the problems I have been having with my reading and near vision.

Sala M.

I had LASIK on both eyes at Custom Vision Clinics, and can now see better than 20/20, without my glasses or contact lenses. More importantly, I now feel that I can get more out of my busy life.

Karen

At the consultation, Mr Ball found that I had early cataracts. Following cataract surgery at Custom Vision Clinics, I am almost completely independent from glasses.

DISCOVER YOUR EYE TREATMENT OPTIONS

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New refractive surgery guidelines from The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, together with patient information on Laser Vision Correction, Phakic Intraocular Lens Implantation, Refractive Lens Exchange and a Checklist for patients will be published in April 2017. Click here for more information

Take this checklist to your consultation with your refractive surgeon performing the procedure. Discuss each item with your surgeon to help you make the decision that is right for you before having
refractive surgery. Click here for more information

Tips for patients interested in laser eye surgery. The road to laser eye surgery can sometimes be confusing. Thinking of the journey as a step-by-step process, from an early interest in laser eye surgery all the way to post-operative care, might make it easier. The following supporting materials will help you learn more about what happens during the process, and answer questions along the way. However, it is recommended to consult with an eye care provider to get more knowledgable of the procedure and to find out whether laser eye surgery might be an option. Click here for more information

Discover how laser eye surgeries differ and compare. The following chart provides an overview of all key facts and figures when it comes to laser eye surgery. While all three Laser Vision Correction procedures have a high success rate, they differ slightly in the refractive errors treated, the treatment method used, and the clinical specifics of each procedure. A doctor or clinic representative can help you understand which procedure is best for your individual eye condition. Click here for more information

SMILE corrects myopia and astigmatism, or a combination of both refractive errors with only a very small incision at the corneal surface. This high-precision procedure is the latest development in the refractive laser treatments. Includes videos, treatment steps, and questions and answers.Click here for more information

LASIK treats refractive errors by folding away the top layer of the eye and re-shaping tissue underneath. If a femtosecond laser is used, this type of procedure is called Femto-LASIK. Includes videos, treatment steps and questions and answers. Click here for more information

PRK/LASEK procedures remove a thin cell layer from the top of the eye so the laser can reshape the underlying cornea. This surgery may be an option for those who are not eligible for LASIK or those who look for the most economic option for refractive laser surgery. Includes videos, treatment steps, and questions and answers. Click here for more information

Laser eye surgery treatments are clinically proven and established procedures. Like all surgeries, however, laser eye surgery is not free of risks and side effects. Only your ophthalmologist can explain the individual risks and decide whether laser eye treatment is an option. Some complications that can occur are… Click here for more information

Photorefractive (laser) surgery for the correction of refractive errors. Understanding NICE guidance – information for people considering the procedure, and for the public. Click here for more information

Fight for Sight is the eye charity leading the way in pioneering sight loss research. This is a link to their page on keratoconus.

About the author

Mr James Ball | Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon

MA (Cantab) MB BChir FRCOphth CertLRS

I am a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at Custom Vision Clinic, St James’s University Hospital, and Nuffield Hospital. My major interest is in refractive surgery and finding the best treatment suitable for each patient.

LIFE IS IN THE DETAILS

Maintaining excellent vision is critically important to a good life. In your twenties or thirties you might get fed up with the need for glasses and contact lenses. After 45, we all wind up needing reading glasses which can be frustrating and feel like premature ageing. Starting as young as 50, cataracts can begin to cloud up our vision. Each life stage demands a unique eye treatment plan.

WORLDCLASS IN YORKSHIRE

Many people think that the most customised eye surgery is only available in London - but that is no longer true. After working for years in London, Mr James Ball decided to open the doors to a brand new world class facility here in Yorkshire. The clinic offers innovative eye treatment options to 3 unique age ranges: people under 40, those ages 40 to 60 and people over 60.